2017 PS Film Festival

Palestinian rapper Tamer Nafar stars as a fictionalized version of himself, dreaming of cross-over success in Israel in this vibrant musical drama. A trenchant, humanist take on an intransigent situation. Winner: Panorama Audience Award, Berlin; Best International Film, Tribeca.

film synopsis

Nafar plays Kareem, a Palestinian would-be rapper in the Israeli city of Lod (near Tel Aviv) whose eloquent raps take issue with the slights and difficulties he and his fellow Palestinians suffer daily in the mixed Jewish-Arab city. His steps towards becoming the first Arab-Israeli rap star are interspersed with sharp commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian situation as Aloni fashions a genuinely humanist take on the struggles faced by those who want to be creative in such a difficult world. The screenplay is credited to Nafar and Oren Moverman (Time Out of Mind; Love and Mercy; The Messenger).

"A sweet, polished, deceptively sunny portrait of Palestinian life in contemporary Israel. The attractive young cast and bright color palette make it easy on the eye. Unsurprisingly, the musical elements are also strong, with exquisitely sensual Arab folk songs woven around Nafar's witty rapid-fire raps in Arabic, Hebrew and English..." Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter